when a Government employee named Ambi Ram was caught red handed by the Vigilance.

The Sessions Court in 1991 sentenced him to rigorous imprisonment for four years. He was granted bail by the High Court of Uttaranchal and by the time he had already undergone imprisonment of one year and 10 months. In 2009 the appeal filed by him was disposed by the Uttaranchal High court. The High Court observed that the sentence already undergone is sufficient considering the nature of the case but maintained he pay a fine of Rs 10,000.

He filed an appeal in the SC challenging the fine.

The Supreme court, however, confirmed the order of fine imposed by the HC. The plea of the prosecutor to sustain the punishment given by the Sessions Court was rejected, however, by the Supreme court.

The Supreme court said that a lenient view is taken considering the nature of the case. It is because the accused had already undergone ordeals in life, he lost the job as well as his pension. He is now a heart patient. Not only that the case has been pending for 34 long years.

He is now aged 78. Meanwhile, he had remitted the fine imposed by the HC.

So the sentence of one year and 10 months already undergone by him is sufficient to meet the ends of justice. Long pendency of the case was considered as a factor for a lenient view taken by the Supreme Court.

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